Modern vehicles typically include at least one wiper system for use in maintaining a surface of the vehicle clean during inclement weather conditions by removing debris (i.e., water, leaves, etc.) from the surface. For example, a passenger car such as a sedan or coupe may include a wiper system associated with a front windshield while a sport utility vehicle may include a wiper system associated with both a front windshield and a rear windshield. Any of foregoing vehicles may also include a wiper system associated with front headlamps of the particular vehicle that likewise maintains an outer surface of the headlamps free from debris.
Wiper systems typically include a wiper arm, a wiper blade in contact with a surface of the vehicle, and a motor. The wiper blade is in contact with the vehicle surface and is selectively moved relative thereto by the motor and wiper arm to remove debris from the vehicle surface. Removing debris from the vehicle surface improves visibility through a windshield of the vehicle and, in some instances, enhances the ability of the headlamps in illuminating an area in front of the vehicle.
Regardless of the particular location of the wiper system (i.e., a front windshield, a rear windshield, or vehicle headlamps), wiper systems typically include a control system that permits an occupant to selectively toggle the wiper system between an ON state and an OFF state. While most wiper systems allow an occupant to manually control the system between an ON state and an OFF state, some wiper systems additionally include an automatic-control system that responds to environmental conditions such as rain. Regardless of whether the wiper system is manually controlled or automatically controlled, a position of the wiper system must be known by a controller associated with the wiper system to properly respond to a command from an occupant or from an automatic-control system.
Conventional wiper systems typically include a switch that responds to movement of the wiper system into a parked state proximate to a cowl of the vehicle. The switch provides a controller associated with the wiper system with the current position of the wiper arm/wiper blade in order to allow the controller to properly execute a manual or automatic command. For example, a conventional wiper system may include a mechanical switch that identifies the parked position of a wiper arm/wiper blade of the wiper system to provide a controller with information as to the current state and location of the wiper arm/wiper blade relative to a surface of the vehicle.
While mechanical switches adequately convey information to a controller associated with a wiper system during warm-weather or hot-weather conditions, such mechanical switches typically fail to adequately convey such information during cold-weather conditions. As such, wiper arms/wiper blades are often cycled relative to a surface of a vehicle even after a controller receives information from an occupant or from an automatic-control system that the wiper arm/wiper blade should be in a parked state.